Twenty-Nine Goodbyes: An Introduction to Chinese Poetry

by Timothy Billings

A primer for those with no previous knowledge of Chinese, this book introduces readers to the fundamentals of classical Chinese poetry through twenty-nine ways of understanding a single poem. “Seeing Off a Friend,” by the great Tang poet Li Bai (701–762) has long been praised for its vividness, subtlety, and poignancy. Anthologizing twenty-nine translations of the poem, Timothy Billings not only introduces the poem’s richness and depth but also the nuanced art of translating Chinese poetry into European languages. A famous exemplar of “seeing off poetry,” which was common in an empire whose literati were continually on the move, Li’s poem has continued to fascinate readers far removed from its moment of composition, from the Victorians, to Ezra Pound, to contemporary translators from around the world. In talking us through these linguistic crossings, Billings unpacks the intricacies of the lüshi or "regulated verse poem," a form as pivotal to Chinese literature as the sonnet is to European tradition.This book promises to transform its readers, step-by-step, into adept interpreters of one of the most significant verse forms in Chinese literary history. Billings’s engaging teaching style, backed by a lightly worn but deep scholarly engagement with Chinese poetry, makes this work an indispensable guide for anyone interested in poetry, translation, or the cultural heritage of China.

Genres: Poetry, China

224 pages, Hardcover

Published December 3, 2024

Reviews

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise of this book is simple, Billings presents twenty-nine different translations of a famous farewell poem by the Tang Dynasty poetic genius, Li Bai, and compares, contrasts, and critiques them in detail. The included translations weren't all crafted in the English language, but English translations (of the translations) are presented as needed. There are translations from French, Spanish, Japanese, and even modern Mandarin Chinese -- among others.

Despite how that may sound, it is a tremendously readable book. Billings writes with engaging prose, employs humor (especially when critiquing his own contribution in the final chapter,) and uses complicated jargon only when necessary and with comprehensible explanations.

Still, it does take a certain level of passion to read because one is repeatedly examining the same poem, and one has to have an interest in the minutiae of said poem and - more importantly -- an interest in the broader lessons conveyed about translation. If whether a color is translated as green or blue (or what symbolic object tumbles on the ground, or what sound a horse makes) doesn't seem change the emotional experience of the poem for you, then you'll probably have a hard time getting into this book. That said, the ability to take a longitudinal view --seeing same points in a given poem through the lens of different poets and translators cross time and cultures, does offer insight that one would be unlikely to get from reading any of the twenty-nine translations in isolation as part of a single translator's collection of translations.

The most useful thing the book did for me was to increase my understanding of the nature of translation and its tradeoffs, as well as to elucidate how easy it is to miss the mark when one is translating from a perspective so different in time and worldview.

I'd highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Tang Dynasty poetry, translation, and the interface of culture and language.

[Adam Hare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explicitly inspired by Weinberger’s 19 Ways of Looking at Wang Wei, Billings surpasses it imo. He goes more in depth in his review of each poem and dedicates more time to explaining the underlying Chinese form. He also offers his own translation at the end, as sort of a culmination of his critiques of others, which he then also reviews.

The style of Billings’ writing is a bit odd - it reads like a blog post, except for a few dense pages towards the end. I found this mostly enjoyable and occasionally funny, but I think it could rub some people the wrong way. It is, as the subtitle suggests, an introduction and so is written at about the level I’d expect for an undergraduate lecture. That being said, I had to look up a word (“obnubilated”) and a reference or two - but if you’re the kind of person who is picking up a book like this, I imagine you’d agree that this is part of the fun.

[Leilani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book managed to cement itself within my top 5 2024/2025 book recommendations with the introduction alone. This is the scholastic pettiness I have been looking for all my life. Two caveats to enjoy this book. You need to be somewhat of a linguistics nerd and have an appreciation for poetry. The author does dive into the technicalities of translation & poetry. That said, this book is incredibly readable. Filled with lots of humor and scathing reviews I have found myself genuinely laughing out loud.
Mr. Timothy Billings, I am a fan.